Deadly Pile-ups on Trakia Motorway in Last 23 Years: A Look Back 2026

Leave a Comment / All articles, Bulgaria / By България Новините

At least 11 people were killed and more than 50 were injured in two pile-ups that occurred early on Tuesday morning in thick fog on Trakia Motorway near Yambol (Southeastern Bulgaria). A total of 86 vehicles were involved in the accidents.
According to data from BTA’s Archives and Reference Department, the last 23 years have seen heavy pile-ups on Trakia Motorway with fatalities and dozens of injured. From 2003 to November 9, 2026, the deadliest accident occurred in 2018, when five people lost their lives. In 2017, two pile-ups involving 40 cars left 24 injured. The causes of the accidents include dense fog, icy road sections, inappropriate speed, and failure to maintain a safe distance.
On January 26, 2003, two people were killed in a pile-up on Trakia Motorway, 20 kilometres from Sofia. The accident occurred around 7:20 p.m. on an icy section of the road, where five vehicles collided. The injured were transported to Sofia’s Pirogov Emergency Hospital with various injuries. Upon inspecting the scene, the police team on duty discovered that a man and a woman, who had been travelling in one of the cars, had died in the ravine beneath the viaduct. It is believed that after the collision, the two exited the vehicle and, while attempting to escape the oncoming cars, jumped over the highway guardrail and fell into the ravine.
On July 5, 2017, two pile-ups on Trakia Motorway blocked traffic in both directions. The cause was thick fog, as well as a smoldering landfill near Ihtiman (Western Bulgaria), which further reduced visibility. The first accident, at the 47-kilometre mark in the direction of Plovdiv (South Central Bulgaria), near Ihtiman, was reported at 6:36 a.m. At 6:52 a.m., information was received about another pile-up in the opposite direction. A total of 40 vehicles were involved in the two accidents – passenger cars, minibuses, a semi-truck, and a bus – some of which were crushed beyond recognition. Fourteen ambulances arrived at the scene, and the injured were transported to six hospitals in Sofia. Twenty-four people were injured; there were no fatalities.
On December 22, 2018, five people were killed in a pile-up near Pazardzhik (South Central Bulgaria). The crash occurred around 7:00 a.m. on the overpass between the villages of Zvunichevo and Bratanitsa, where three vans and two passenger cars collided. The most likely cause of the accident was thick fog in the area and an icy section of the road.
On May 26, 2022, three cars were completely destroyed in a pile-up on Trakia Motorway near Plovdiv, at the 114-kilometre mark in the direction of Burgas (on the Black Sea). The accident occurred shortly after 4:00 p.m. The firefighters’ swift response prevented the fire from spreading to other vehicles that had stopped after the accident. No one was injured. According to preliminary reports, the collision was caused by failure to maintain a safe distance.
On July 3, 2023, four people were injured in a pile-up involving a truck and three passenger cars at the 66-kilometre mark of Trakia Motorway. The accident was reported around 9:00 a.m. Roadwork was underway in that section, and traffic was restricted to a single lane. As the truck changed lanes and slowed down, three passenger cars collided with it in succession.
On August 17, 2023, one person was injured in a pile-up involving four vehicles near the 87-kilometre mark of Trakia Motorway, close to Pazardzhik on the lane to Sofia. The accident occurred just before a section of the motorway under repair, where traffic was restricted to a single lane. The probable causes of the accident were inappropriate speed, distraction, and failure to maintain a safe distance.
On June 3, 2024, four people were injured in a pile-up at the 43-kilometre mark of Trakia Motorway in the direction of Burgas. The accident involved four passenger cars and one heavy-duty truck.
On July 12, 2024, two women sustained minor injuries in a pile-up involving four cars near the 102-kilometre mark of Trakia Motorway on the lane to Burgas. The injured were transported to the Multidisciplinary Hospital for Active Treatment in Pazardzhik.
On March 29, 2025, a man and a woman were killed in a pile-up shortly after 6:00 a.m. near the 58-kilometre mark of Trakia Motorway in the direction of Plovdiv. The accident involved a passenger car, a van, and a truck. The driver of the passenger car rear-ended the van, which spun around and collided with the truck travelling in front of it.
On September 12, 2026, four vehicles were involved in a pile-up at the 57-kilometre of Trakia Motorway in the direction of Burgas. No one was seriously injured in the accident.

Deadly Pile-ups on Trakia Motorway in Last 23 Years: A Look Back 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-11-10 07:17:29

Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news. Bulgaria news, Bulgarian news, news from Bulgaria, latest news Bulgaria, breaking news Bulgaria, Bulgaria today, Bulgarian politics, Bulgarian government. Bulgarian economy, Bulgarian business, Bulgarian society, Bulgarian culture, Bulgarian tourism, Bulgarian sports, Bulgarian media, Bulgarian parliament. Sofia news, Plovdiv news, Varna news, Burgas news, Ruse news, Stara Zagora news, Pleven news, Sliven news. Dobrich news, Shumen news, Pernik news, Haskovo news, Yambol news, Pazardzhik news, Blagoevgrad news, Veliko Tarnovo news. Vratsa news, Gabrovo news, Asenovgrad news, Vidin news, Bulgarian local news, Bulgaria current affairs, Bulgaria breaking news, Bulgaria headlines. Balkan news, Southeast Europe news, Bulgarian international news, Bulgaria world news, Bulgarian elections, Bulgaria events, Bulgaria analysis, Bulgaria updates.Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law.

BULGARIA NEWS – NEWS AGENCY 2009–2026 2026-11-10 07:17:29